PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College women's basketball team made its home debut on Tuesday and knocked down a season-high 11 3-pointers as the Cardinals toppled visiting Buffalo State, 79-57, in a non-conference tilt inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court.  With the win, Fisher, which is ranked 19th in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll, climbed to 5-1 heading into the Thanksgiving Break while the Bengals closed out the day at 2-3 overall.

Overall, Fisher was 30-for-69 (.441) from the floor, however, the team's hot shooting from distance was evident from the get-go as the Cardinals shot nearly 60 percent from behind the arc in the win. 

It was all Fisher from the opening whistle as the home team jumped out to a double-digit lead, 13-3, just four minutes in.  The lead would grow to 13 points when Mallory Wood kicked it out to Leah Koonmen who buried a triple before Miranda Lynch connected on back-to-back shots from downtown. 

Holding a 12-point lead to begin the second period, the Cardinals' saw their lead dwindle down to five points after Buffalo State scored 17 of the quarter's first 22 points to pull even at 35 points aside with under two minutes to go before the break.  From there, Fisher would regroup as a bucket in the paint by Wood sparked a modest 6-0 run that lifted Fisher to a 41-35 advantage at halftime.

Coming out of the break, the Cardinals caught fire as an old-fashioned 3-point by from Ella Eckert fueled a 15-4 run that stretched over six minutes of play to open up a double-digit lead, 56-39.  Trailing by 17, the Bengals would pull to within 13 points before two free throws from Koonmen staked Fisher to a 15-point cushion with 10 minutes still to play.

As the fourth quarter got underway, Buffalo State had no answer for the Cardinals' hot shooting on the perimeter as Koonmen and Lynch drained consecutive triples to push Fisher's lead to 21 points, 66-45.

The home team's edge would balloon to as many as 26 points late in the fourth frame following a lay-up from Maisy Booth as the Cardinals closed out the non-conference win.

Koonmen led the team with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting including a 4-for-4 effort from 3-point land.  The Fairport native finished with a team-high six assists and pulled down two rebounds in 24 minutes.  Ella Eckert recorded her second double-double of the year with 17 points and 11 rebounds as the forward also netted five helpers.  Wood and Lynch combined to produce 18 points off the bench while Julia Mertsock had five points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.

The Cardinals will return to action at 5 p.m. on Monday when they welcome Union College to Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium for another non-conference battle.